DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. 15/065,190, filed on 4/1/2016.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a) the invention was known or used by others in this country, or patented or described in a printed publication in this or a foreign country, before the invention thereof by the applicant for a patent.
(b) the invention was patented or described in a printed publication in this or a foreign country or in public use or on sale in this country, more than one year prior to the date of application for patent in the United States.
Claim(s) 1-19 is/are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(a) as being anticipated by Wade (WO 2011155318 A1; see US 2013/0076924 A1 for English Translation).
As to claim 1, Wade shows (FIG. 2):
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A camera module comprising:
a circuit board comprising a first board unit 23A, a second board unit 22, and a connection board unit 23B connecting the first board unit and the second board unit 22;
an image sensor configured to move together with the first board unit 23A of the circuit board;
a lens 5 disposed at a position corresponding with the image sensor; and
a first magnet 39 and a first coil 38 configured to tilt both the lens and the image sensor,
wherein at least a part of the connection board 23B is disposed higher than the first board unit 23A and the lens 5 is disposed higher than the image sensor (imaging element is on circuit board 22 ¶ 65; movable body 5 holds the lens ¶ 55).
As to claim 2/1, Wade further shows (FIG. 2 above) wherein the connection board unit 23B comprises a bent part,
wherein the bent part comprises a first area 23B1 where the bent part begins and a second area 23B2 where the bent part ends,
wherein the first area 23B1 of the bent part is disposed closer to the first board unit 23A than is the second area 23B2 of the bent part, and
wherein the second area 23B2 of the bent part is disposed higher than the first area 23B1 of the bent part.
As to claim 3/2/1, Wade further shows (FIG. 2 above) wherein the first area 23B1 of the bent part is overlapped with the first board unit 23A in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis direction L.
As to claim 4/1, Wade further shows (FIG. 2 above) wherein a gap is formed between the image sensor 22 and the lens 5, and
wherein the circuit board comprises a flexible circuit board (¶ 65) .
As to claim 5/4/1, Wade further shows (FIG. 2 above) wherein a shape of the flexible circuit board is changeable to movably support the first board unit 23A (¶ 65).
As to claim 6/1, Wade further shows (FIG. 2 above) comprising a second magnet 19 and a second coil 18 configured to move the lens 5 with respect to the image sensor 22 in an optical axis direction L.
As to claim 7/6/1, Wade further shows (FIG. 2 above) wherein the second coil 18 is overlapped with the first coil 38 in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction L.
As to claim 8/6/1, Wade further shows (FIG. 2 above) wherein the second coil 18 is overlapped with the first magnet 39 in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction L.
As to claim 9/1, Wade further shows (FIG. 2 above) wherein the first coil 38 comprises a first coil part 38a1 and a second coil part 38a2,
wherein the first board unit 23A is configured to move in a first direction when a current is applied to the first coil part 38a1, and
wherein the first board unit 23A is configured to move in a second direction different from the first direction when a current is applied to the second coil part 38a2.
As to claim 10/1, Wade further shows (FIG. 2 above) wherein the connection board unit 23B comprises two leg parts 23B1, 23B2,
wherein each of the two leg parts 23B1, 23B2 connects the first board unit 23A and the second board unit 22,
wherein a gap is formed between the two leg parts 23B1, 23B2, and
wherein the gap between the two leg parts 23B1, 23B2 is formed between the first board unit 23A and the second board unit 22 when viewed from below.
As to claim 12/1, Wade further shows (FIG. 2 above) wherein the connection board unit 23B of the circuit board elastically connects the first board unit 23A and the second board unit 22.
As to claim 13/6/1, Wade further shows (FIG. 2 above) wherein the image sensor is electrically connected with the circuit board, and wherein the second coil is electrically connected with the circuit board (all electrical parts of the camera are coupled to the circuit board).
As to claim 14/6/1, Wade further shows (FIG. 2 above):
a first housing 4;
a second housing 14 disposed in the first housing 4; and
a bobbin 13 disposed in the second housing 14 and coupled with the lens 5,
wherein the first coil 38 is disposed on the first housing 4,
wherein the first magnet 39 is disposed on the second housing 14,
wherein the second coil 18 is disposed on the bobbin 13, and
wherein the second magnet 19 is disposed on the second housing 14 (sleeve 13 ¶ 60).
As to claim 15/1, Wade further shows A mobile phone comprising the camera module of claim 1 (¶ 3).
As to claim 16, Wade shows (FIG. 2 above) A camera module comprising:
a circuit board comprising a first board unit 23A, a second board unit 22, and a connection board unit 23B connecting the first board unit 23A and the second board unit 22;
an image sensor configured to move together with the first board unit 23A of the circuit board; and
a first magnet 39 and a first coil 38 configured to tilt the image sensor,
wherein at least a part of the connection board 23B is disposed higher than the first board unit 23A and light is incident on an upper surface of the image sensor (imaging element is on circuit board 22 ¶ 65; movable body 5 holds the lens ¶ 55).
As to claim 17/16, Wade shows (FIG. 2 above) wherein the connection board unit 23B comprises a bent part,
wherein the bent part comprises a first area 23B1 where the bent part begins and a second area 23B2 where the bent part ends,
wherein the first area 23B1 of the bent part is disposed closer to the first board unit 23A than is the second area 23B2 of the bent part, and
wherein the second area 23B2 of the bent part is disposed higher than the first area 23B1 of the bent part.
As to claim 18/17/16, Wade shows (FIG. 2 above) wherein the first area 23B1 of the bent part is overlapped with the first board unit 23A in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis direction L.
As to claim 19/16, Wade shows (FIG. 2 above) wherein a gap is formed between the image sensor and the lens, and
wherein the circuit board comprises a flexible circuit board (¶ 65).
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(b) as being anticipated by Tsuruta et al. (US 2011/0097062 A1, hereinafter Tsuruta, of record).
As to claim 20, Tsuruta shows A camera module comprising:
a circuit board 188;
an image sensor 155 configured to move together with at least a part of the circuit board 188; and
a first magnet 17 and a first coil 30 configured to tilt the image sensor 155 (¶ 67, 70, 72, 73, 103, 104, 180, 181, 184) .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 11 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The prior art does not show or suggest the two leg parts meet and are integrated.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT E MATES whose telephone number is (571)270-5293. The examiner can normally be reached M to F 12:00pm to 8pm.
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/ROBERT E MATES/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/TULSIDAS C PATEL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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